This invention relates generally to a heating attachment for a musical instrument of the wind type which is sounded by a player's breath. The invention is particularly directed to a wind instrument of the so-called "brass instrument" type which is frequently played out of doors such as a bugle, trumpet or a cornet.
When a brass musical instrument is played out of doors in sub-freezing temperature, the player experiences considerable difficulty. When the temperature of the ambient air is cold, the entire instrument becomes cold, including the mouthpiece of the instrument. When the player presses his or his lips against the mouthpiece of the instrument, he or she experiences substantial physical discomfort. Initially, the discomfort is in the form of pain and then numbness which seriously reduces the player's ability to play the instrument. Since the manipulation of the lips forms an important part in the playing of brass instruments, the numbing effect of the cold on the lips becomes a critical factor in playing the instrument. Plastic mouthpieces have been used for outdoor playing in an attempt to increase the comfort factor on the player's lips. However, plastic does not resonate as well as metal and, is therefore not as desirable as metal. In addition, even the plastic mouthpiece can become uncomfortable for the player's lips when the air is cold enough. These and other difficulties experienced with the playing of musical wind instruments for outdoor use in cold weather have been obviated by the present invention.
It is, therefore, a principle object of the invention to provide a heating attachment which will maintain the mouthpiece of a wind instrument above the temperature of the ambient air to enable the instrument to be played outdoors when the air is cold.
Another object of this invention is the provision of a heating attachment for a musical wind instrument which utilizes a battery as a power source and is thereby totally portable.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a heating attachment for a musical wind instrument which is capable of being selectively activated for heating.
It is another object of thpresent invention to provide a heating attachment for a musical wind instrument which is capable of heating the mouthpiece of the instrument sufficiently so as to prevent the player's lips from being affected by the cold when playing out of doors under cold weather conditions.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of a heating attachment for a wind musical instrument for cold weather playing which is relatively inexpensive and easy to use.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a heating attachment for a musical wind instrument which is easy to attach and detach from the mouthpiece of the musical instrument.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.